Multiple turret simplex printer concentration circuit



G. G.' LIGHT l l 1,860,343 MULTIILE TURRET SIMPLEX PRINTER CONCENTRATION CIRCUIT May 24, 1932.

Filed July *24. 1931 2 sheets-sheet 1 3mm/1to1: 4 geb/ye @Zep/2t May 24, `1932,.

l G. G. LIGHT l MULTIPLE TURRET S-IMPLEX PRINTER CONCENTRATION CIRCUIT t 1 prior Patent Patented May 24, '1932 GEORGE G. LIGHT, or REW GARDENS, NEW TELEGRAPH COMPANY, or' NEW YoRx,

Yo'RR, 'AssIGNoR' To TEE' WESTERN" UNION AIl:111.'.'rIrLE TURRET snurLEx PRINTER CONCENTRATION CIRCUIT v L l 'Application led July 24,

rI his invention relates to the circuit, ar-f rangement or handling traiiic at a central station where the terminals'of a largel numberl of simplex printerlines from outlying branches terminate, each line. being connected to multipled jacks or multipled plugs located at lthe various operators positions or turrets so that the trailic'of said lines may be handled by a, small'number of simplex 1C printers at 4the central station.'

This invention is animprovement upon- No.'l 1,804,327, dat-ed May v5, 1931, and pertains more particularly tothe central station .operators cord circuit. In said prior patent, the closing of the circuit to the operators simplex printer or the indication that a line was busy was effected by means' of a hot cathode vacuum tube which required the continuous expenditureA of 2o energy I have devised an arrangement for accomplishing this purposev which eliminates this expenditure of energy by employing statically controlled devices which are normally inert but instantly determined conditions.

In the following description I shall refer to the accompanying drawings, inl which-'- Figures 1 and 2 are diagrammatic illustrations of concentration units for simplex printer telegraph circuits showing different forms of my improvements in the operators cord circuit.

Inasmuch as I have shown my invention applied to the concentration circuit arrangement disclosed in said prior .Patent 1,804,327, it will be unnecessary to describe the Same in detail in this case. t

5 The operation of my improvement in the operators cord circuit will be understood from the following examples Referring to Figure 1, assume that a call is initiatedl at a branch ofce. By operating ilrey K, the operator closes the motor M or her simplex-.printer SP and connects its transmitting circuits to the line L. By depressing any one of the keys of the printer the line is momentarily opened, thereby deenergizing tion which is held in this condition by the mately from a battery or other generator.

break downunder pre-- the breakdown value of the iwinding 14 of relay her circuit to startl the relayv at the central sta- 193i. serial No. 552,983.

short circuit aroundits winding through its,

left hand armature and back contact. The

branch oiiice through the printer, contacts of sw1tch`K, line L, conductor 30, contact andspring arm 13, conductor 31, winding of relay A,V and signaling battery-or generator circuit may be traced from ground at the` SB to ground. The right hand armature and back contact of relay A close a circuit for the answer lamp 11. Upon noting the signal an idle operator plugs herfj ack J upon the line yplug in her turret corresponding to this line. lThis applies a positive ypotential of approxi- 85 volts to one electrode of the neon lamp NL over a circuit from the generator SB, conductor 32, left lay A, outer right hand armature and back contact of relay B, spring arm 13 and upper contact,.conductor 30, winding v5 of relay C, turret plug and jack J, conductor 34, right hand armature and hack contact of relay E, conductor `35, and winding 14 of relay D to the right hand electrode of neon lamp NL. Since the other electrode is connected to the negative terminal of 110 volt generator- 40, -neon lamp is passes through it and D. The operation of relay D completes a circuit from the 24 volt generator 16 through the windings of relays F and E and the holding winding 15 of relay D to ground through the jack J. Although a circuit through the busy lamp 17 was closed at the groundedcontact of the `j ack J the operation of relay E opensthis circuit at its left hand armature and back contact, connects the exceeded and current armature, and disconnects Operation of relay Fcompletes the circuit to A the operating motor of the printer SP2. The

printer circuit is-now ready .to be operated ,from the operating battery or generator OB. Incase the line is busy when an ,operator connects her jack to a line plug, approximatehand armature of rely *85 volts negative will be applied to the neon lamp whenever the transmitter of the central oiice printer in the bus line is closed, and as the other terminal of th lamp is negative it will not break down and hence no current will flow through it or winding 14 ofl relay D.

curren-t through the neon lamp and Winding 14 of relay D will be small and of short duration compared to the current resulting from the positive voltage being applied to the lamp when the`cord circuit is connected to an idle l-ine. This tendency of relay D to operate on account of induced voltage is obviated by employing a .marginal relay at D which will not operate on the current resulting from the induced voltage.

I-nasmuch as relay D does not operate when the central oice operator connects her jack J to a'busyline plug, the circuit from the 24 volt generator 18, through the busy lamp 17, left hand armature and back contact of relay E and the jack J to ground is not opened.

Consequently, a busyhsignal appears as long neon lamp, the condenserv will discharge as the jack is connected to the plug of the busy' line. i v

' In the arrangement disclosed in Figure 2, I am enabled to dispense with the use of a marginal relay while retaining the advantage of the statically controlled connecting mechanism.

When a central station operator responds to a call by inserting her jack J upon a terminal plug, approximately 85 volts positive will be applied over conductor 35to one electrode of the neon lamp or tube NL and to the corresponding plate of the condenser 42, the other electrode and plate being connected to the negative terminal of 110 volt A,generator 40 through a high resistance 45 of from 1K2 to 2 inegohms. As the breakdown Value of the neon lamp is approximately 170 volts the Voltage applied is suiiicient to cause a breakdown of the lamp. This will not occur immediately however since the drop across the resistance 45, due to the charging current of thel condenser, -will reduce the voltage at the lamp terminal below its breakdown value.

When the potential between the condenser plates reaches the breakdown value of the through the lamp and winding of relay D. The operation ofrelay D removes the short circuit around the winding 43 of relay E, permitting relay E to operate and 'establish aI circuitv from the negative terminal of generator 16, through the winding oflrelay F, inner left hand armature and winding 44 of relay E to ground through the jack. The operation of relay E removes the relay D', neon lamp and condenser 42 from the circuit and connects the simplex printer SP2 to line.

If the operator at the central oflice should connect her jack to the plug of a busy line,-approximately 85 volts negative will be applied to the neon lamp and condenser whenever the transmitter of the central oiiiceprinter in the busy line is closed. Under this condition approximately 25 volts is applied across the terminals of the neon lamp and condenser since there is 110 volts negative on one side and 85 volts negative on the other side. The lamp will not break down and consequently relay D will not be operated.

Whenever the transmitter ofthe central olice printer in the busy line is opened to send a spacing signal, the 110 volt negative battery will be removed from the line. At the same time the condenser will begin to charge due to the permanently applied 110 Volt gener-- ator 40 and an induced voltage of positive polarity set up by the inductance of the branch oflice equipment. The charging rate of the condenser is retarded by the series resistance 45, and since the induced voltage is of short duration, the energy due to it is dissipated therein before the condenser reaches an appreciable charge. The charge on the condenser therefore will be due to the permanently connected 110 volt generator 40. This is notsuicient to cause a breakdown of the neon lamp and consequently relay D is not operated.

Whenever the transmitter of the central oice printer is closed to send a marking signal, the charge on the condenser will be lowered to 25 volts since 85 volts negative is then applied to the line side of the condenser.

The advantages of a cord circuit employing a control device of the electrostatically controlled type, such as a neon lamp, will now be appreciated. v'I have disclosed two circuit arrangements which may be employed but it will be evident to engineers that various changes may be made lWithin the scope of my invention.

I claim: f

1. In an intercominunication system embodying a central station, a plurality of substations, a line from each sub-station terminating in multipled jack-plugs at a number of'turrets or operators positions, a simpleX printer at each operators position, and anf'operatorscord circuit adapted to connect the printerV with one of said plugs, relay means controlling said connection including antlectrostatically controlled arc discharge pa 2. Inl an intercommunication system embodying a central station, a plurality of subv stations, a line from each sub-station terminating in multipled ackplugs at a number of turrets or operators positions, a simplex printer at each operators position, and an operators cord circuit adapted to connect the maximum i printer with one of said plugs, relaymeans controlling said connection including an electrostatically controlled arc discharge tube, and a potential source continuously connected to one terminal of said tube.

3. In an intercommunication system as defined in claim 2, and means for retarding at predetermined rate the accumulation of any tact.

lso

iliary means determining the operation of said relay means including a gaseous path adapted to break down upon the application of a predetermined voltage.

5J In an intercommunicatlon system as deiined in claim 4, and means for reta-rding at a predeterminedratethe accumulation of any change applied to the terminals of said tube.' v v y '6. A cord circuit for simplex printers comprising,'in combination with the printer, a

'jack adapted to connect to multipled line plugs, a circuit connecting the jack and the Aprinter including `a normallyopen contact, and anvelectrostatically 'controlled arc discharge path connected to said jack and operating to cause the closing 'of said open con- 7. A cord circuitfor simplex printers comprising, incombination with the printer,

a relay provided with a winding in a holding circuit, and a normally short-circuited winding, a busy line signal anda contact in the printer circuit controlled by said relay, a second relay controlling. said short-circuited-winding and a neon lamp in series with -the Winding ofsaid second Vrelay and arranged to break down upon the application of a predetermined potential.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

GEORGE G. LIGHT. 

